I clutch the phone tighter to my ear, trying not to get lost in my thoughts about him as a handsome man. He is, there’s no denying that. He’s like a Greek God, a dream guy, but that isn’t the point. I’m not there to ogle at the man who’s going to rescue me. Even if he is my knight in shining armor.
“Yeah, he seems really good. I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Well, I hope he doesn’t take too long. The sooner you’re out of there, the better.”
I glance around the small room that I’ve locked myself away in and I had to agree. “Yes, I know.”
“Oh wow, this could be the start of your real life, Nova. Have you thought about that?”
My heart squeezes tight in my chest, half with terror, half with excitement. “I don’t know what it will be like.”
“Better. Even without the money and stuff, it will be so much better.”
“I don’t care about money. It doesn’t only not buy happiness, it leads to misery instead.”
“You need to meet a nice poor guy, like my Kem.”
“I don’t want a guy for a very long time. I will be spending my time getting to know me.”
“Yeah, I suppose that might be a wise idea too. And I will always be there for you.”
“I know you will. I honestly don’t know what I would do without you, Clara.”
“You don’t ever have to find out. I’m not going anywhere. You won’t ever get rid of me.”
“I know, and I love you f
or it. You’re the most amazing friend ever.”
“Well, we’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we? We have to be there for one another.”
“I wouldn’t even think of walking if I didn’t have you, so thank you.”
“Maybe you will have to do the same for me one day. Although, with Kem I doubt it.”
We talk for a little longer, before eventually saying goodbye, and as I hang up the phone I feel right about today. Clara has simply confirmed to me that I’m doing the right thing. It won’t be easy to pull away from Jeremy and the life we have, but once away, it can only lead to good things. Freedom, for one, and eventually a family of my own.
It’s going to be fine, I try to convince myself. This will be the start of something new.
I wander all around the house in a bit of a daze, wondering what I’ll take with me when I go, but in truth, there isn’t anything. None of this is really mine. It’s all Jeremy’s…the stuff he shows off with. I don’t care about any of it. Even the clothes. I don’t even want to pack up an emergency bag of things to wear. All the stuff I started with is long gone, not good enough. At the time, I thought it was nice that he wanted to buy me clothes, now it’s just another thing that I really don’t like about him. One to add to the very long list.
I want to start afresh and just be me, to work out what’s going on with my life, to learn who I am. It’s daunting, but exciting too. I guess now I’m just eager to get started.
4
Zane
“Woah, this guy is a real piece of work.” I grab my beer and gulp some of it. “A real asshole.”
I can’t believe what I’m finding out about the man I kind of know from the business social scene. He’s nothing like what he seems. He’s one of those loud, in your face, life, and soul of the party types, but that’s to cover up the truth in his heart. The nastiness that comes out only behind closed doors. A sick nastiness that transports into aggression, a lot of yelling, and sometimes some actual violence. What a douche bag.
Thinking of Nova in that situation makes me feel sick to my stomach. I want her to escape right now.
Digging in deep into the parts of the Internet that people don’t even realize are public, I can see what is going on underneath the scene, and it seems like the men that Jeremy is involved with are sketchy, criminal types with a history of fraud, extortion, and other terrible things. There must be a reason why a successful man would be interested in these guys. Maybe his success isn’t only down to his company. I guess there is a seedy side to Las Vegas, just like there is to any city, and Jeremy must be deep in the middle of it. That makes him potentially dangerous, so I will have to tread very carefully when it comes to dealing with him.
“Fucking hell.” I lean back and stare at the clock. It’s almost midnight, much too late to be down the rabbit hole, but I can’t seem to stop falling. For Nova, I need to get answers. “This is fucking awful.”
Even now, thinking of her in that house with him is intense. It brings a sickness to my stomach that I don’t normally get. I deal with a lot of horrible cases, this isn’t the worst at all, but she’s under my skin now. I want to rescue her. She’s like the freaking princess at the top of the tower and I want to get her down.